This invention relates to temporary currency storage units, as used in banks or other currency transaction businesses.
Commercial establishments which handle substantial sums of money are, of course, concerned about protecting current holdings of cash or similar negotiable instruments from being mishandled or stolen. Security boxes are known to have been mounted, hidden from public view, to undersides of cashier's counters. To alleviate a need to open a known type security box to deposit funds, the security box has been furnished with a slot for depositing currency. It is further known to deposit money through a slot in a table surface which slot coincides with a similar slot in the removable security box mounted within a mounting frame to the underside of the table. Also, efforts have been made to prevent tampering with security boxes. Thus, as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,292,849, on removal of a security box from a deposit position beneath a table, a closure of the slot in the security box occurs.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,433,185 pertains to a similar security box installation sought to provide a security box mountable under tables to make use of a currency deposit slot within the tables. The disclosed security box has also a protective slide for a currency slot. Protecting the security boxes from being tampered with is of less concern in establishments in which the person depositing funds into the security box remains accountable for the funds and also works in the vicinity of the location of the security box.
However, various types of commercial establishments which handle substantial sums of money may require protection in day-to-day operations against walk-in robberies. Since robberies are crimes of convenience, protection may be found in temporary inaccessibility of spoils of such crimes. Security boxes may serve such a need in providing delay in immediate access to currency. On the other hand, persons working in such establishments must also be able to handle currency in a commercially efficient manner, so as to contain handling costs. Thus, the use of a security box must not interfere with sorting of cash receipts.